Sectional range



Sept. 30, 1952 s. F. LACHOWICZ SECTIONAL RANGE 2 SHEETS.-SHEET 1 Filed March 8, 1950 W? 0 m H G. M F m M m S Sept. 30, 1952 Filed March 8, 1950 s. F. LACHOWICZ ,590

SECTIONAL RANGE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Sept. 30, 1952 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE r i 2,612,59c v SECTIONAL RANGE Stanley F. Lachowicz, New Britain, Conn assignor t Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conrn, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 8, 1950, Serial No. 148,449

The present' invention relates to an electric kitchen. range and more particularlyto 'a sectional electric kitchen range, the same being adapted to be assembled selectively from'a plu' ralityof basic units to aiford the particular utilities or conveniences desired and to dispose the units in a position or location to suit'the requirements or preferance of the user.

The sectional range of the present invention is particularlyuseful in,-although not limited to, situations where space availability or the preference of th individual user makes desirable a kitchen range arrangement which may be different from that of standard models. It is an advantage of the present inventiomhowever, that it permits both conventional and unconventional arrangements of the range components and the completed range may be rearranged or added to or subtracted from at a later time, if desired. It also permits the dealer to provide electric kitchen ranges in a large variety of shapes and sizes and thereby meet the requirements and preferences ofthe trade without the necessity for stocking a large inventory of ranges. g

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a kitchen range which can be assembled selectively in a wide variety of forms and sizes thereby permitting a wide latitude in the location and arrangement of the components 'andproviding a range having new and useful functions. Included in this aim is the objeotof-providing such a range construction which, despite its multiformity and adaptability, can be economically mass produced and may be assemled with a minimum. amount of skill and instruction; The aim further includes the object of providing a kitchen range which not only is adapted to meet the particular needs of the purchaser or user but which also is competitive in cost with standard pro-assembled models as well as at least equal to: standard types of pre-assembled ranges in stability, ruggedness, safety, and beauty of appearance, and including such desirable features as concealed structural members and electrical connections, the latter being accomplished regardlessv of the particular kind or number of units selected or the relationship in which they are arranged. 1

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exempli-' fled in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the drawings: 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary range which may be assembled in accordance with the invention;

1 Claim. (01. 219-35) Fig. 2"is an exploded perspective view showing the details of construction of two of the basic units;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the assembled range shown in Fig. 1; and

. Fig. 4 is a side view thereof partially in cross section. f I

As shown in the drawings and as described more particularly hereinafter, the kitchen range of the present invention is assembled selectively from a plurality of basic units, all of which are complete and separate manufactured products in themselves. These basic units are denoted herein as cooking units, oven units, drawer units, and base units.

Referring to the drawings, the arrangement shown in-Fig. l, which is an exemplary form of a completely assembled kitchen range ready for installation, is composed of a single cooking unit A, a single oven unit B, five drawer units (Land two base units D. This particular arrangement of the units has been selected merely as illustrative of a type of arrangement which might be desired for a particular installation, the cooking unit and oven unit being disposed in different vertical columns, 1. e., in side-by-side relationship with the mid-@point of the oven unit at approximately the same heightas .the top surface of the cooking unit. As will be apparent from the following description, the assembled kitchen range could just as well include additional drawer units C, the oven unit B could be on either side of the cooking unit or underneath, the cooking unit or oven unit .could be arranged at 'any'desired height merely by utilizing more or fewer drawer units, and, if desired, a plurality of cooking units Aor oven units B could be utilized.

As mentioned above, each of .the units is a complete separate element and with a few exceptions may be disposed at any desired location in the assembled kitchen range. Each unit, with the exception of the cooking unit, is arranged to support any one or more of the other units referred to and is provided with a structural form such-that, regardless of the disposition of the unit, the assembled range will have a desired strength and ruggedness. Each of'the units also is suitably finished on both side surfaces and may be providedwith a conventional porcelain coating, for example, so that, regardless of the location of the unit in the assembled range, a pleasing exterior surface for the range is provided.

The manner in which the units are formed to provide the characteristics referred to and are aligned and fastened together is best shown with reference to the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will benoted that the oven unit B edges of the flanges are preferably joined, for example, by spot welding. By forming the side walls ID in the manner referred to, the weight and cost of the unit is kept at a minimum and yet the walls possess sufficient strength to withstand heavy vertical loads and the unit can support any of the other units as may be desired with sufiicient rigidity and without deformation.

The side walls H) are joined together at the I rear by horizontal angle iron frame members I I and I2. A rear wall I3 is secured to the inner edges of these frame members |||2 so as to provide a recess H at the back of the unit for the purpose discussed hereinafter.

At the lower front edge of the unit there is shown a transverse frame member |5 extending between the side plates l0. Extending across the corners formed by the frame member 5 and side plates ID are strengthening gussets I6 each of which has a cup-shaped indentation therein and a central opening l8. These indentations and openings are utilized in centering and fastening the units together, as explained more fully hereinafter.

The front of the oven unit B is provided with a base plate l9 containing the controls 20 for the oven unit and a hinged door 2| to permit access to the interior of the unit. When the oven unit B is utilized as a top unit in the assembly, there is provided a suitably fitting cover 22 which can be fastened to the unit in any desired manner and which provides a desired finished top surface.

As shown in Fig. 2, the drawer unit C comprises side walls 30 which are formed in the same manner as walls In previously described, being formed of sheet metal flanged along the longitudinal and lateral edges to impart rigidity thereto and,.if desired, with the abutting edges of these flanges spot welded for additional strength. A rear wall 32, similarly flanged as walls 30 so as to provide a recess 3| in the rear of the unit. A drawer 34, having a conventional front wall 35, is slidably mounted in the unit in the usual manner.

In a similar manner to that described in connection with the oven unit B there is provided a transverse frame member 36 at the front of the unit extending between side walls 30 and the corners are reinforced with the previously described gussets l6 having cup-shaped indentations I! and a central opening l8 therethrough. When the oven unit B is placed on the drawer unit 0, the cup-shaped indentations IT in the gussets l6 of the oven unit and drawer unit are brought into register, thereby bringing the units into proper alignment. The units may then be bolted together by inserting a bolt 31 through the openings l8 and turning a nut 38 thereon, as best shown in Fig. 4. The mating or nesting of the indentations serves to accurately locate any one unit in proper position with respect to any other unit above or below, it being understood that all of the units are similarly formed with the mating and aligning means I7. I

After the particular units and arrangement thereof is selected by the customer, the units are vertically aligned and bolted together, as previously mentioned, and, at the same time, the units in different columns are joined' tog'ether by means of strap members 40 which are ent around the adjacent flanges of the adjoining side walls of the units which are in side-by-side relationship. The strapmembers 40 are provided primarily to prevent lateral separation of the units while the bolt 37 prevents vertical separation.

In the installation of the electrical range it is desired to have all of the electrical connections concealed and also to utilize a single conduit for connection to the sourceof electrical power. This aim is fully realized in accordance with the invention by the provision of the recesses at the rear of the various units, as described abovefand also by the provision of means to permit themterconnection .of two or more columns through the base units D. As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the cooking unit A is directly connected to a source of electrical power through the conduit 50 which extends upwardly to the cooking unit'A in the vertically'aligned recesses 3| at the rear of the drawer units C. vThe conduit 50 ex: tends through an opening 5| in the base of the cooking unit and is connected to the terminal block 52. The terminal block 53 of the oven unit B is then connected to the connecting block 52 by a. suitable conduit 54 extending'downwardly from the oven unit B in the rear recesses 3| of the drawer units 0 disposed underneath the oven unit, and then passes laterally to the second column of units through openings permitted by suitable knock-out plates (not shown) in the base units D, and then extends upwardly through the recesses inthe rear of the drawer units C disposed underneath the cooking unit A, and thence to the terminal block 52.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided in accordance 'with the invention a simple and yet extremely versatile construction which permitsthe assembly of electric kitchen ranges in 'awide variety of shapes and sizes from a plurality cfibasic units without sacrificing, at the same time, the desirable attributes of ruggedness, pleasing appearance, low cost, and the like. The disposition and number of the uni-ts employed is subject to the particular desires of the individual purchaser and yet, when the range is assembled, it has all the appearance of a pre-assembled range including concealment of unsightly framework and recessed electrical connections, and otherwise compares favorably with any other range on the market.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

In a kitchen range, a plurality of removable and interchangeable basic units, each of said units being generally hexahedral in shape and provided with uninterrupted finished vertical side walls equally spaced apart and inwardly dis- 5 posed frame portions, means disposed intericrly of the sides of the units for vertically aligning superposed units to provide the range with substantially uninterrupted side surfaces which are planar throughout, means disposed interiorly of 5 the sides of the units for retaining the units in aligned and superposed relationship, and fastening means extending between side by side units to prevent lateral separation thereof, each of said units being provided with a rear wall inset from 10 the rear edges of the side walls thereof to provide vertically extending channels in the rear of the range of sufiicient depth to house electrical connecting means extending between spaced apart units.

STANLEY F. LACHOWICZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,385,990 Forshee Aug. 2, 1921 1,609,204 Roy Nov. 30, 1926 1,721,191 Smith July 16, 1929 1,869,649 Atkinson Aug. 2, 1932 2,414,163 Barnsteiner et a1. Jan. 14, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,838 Australia Sept. 4, 1930 of 1930 

